T

tinman

Well Known Member
From the get-go, if I insert the headset jack all the way in, the headset does not work. If I leave around 3/16" showing, everthing works fine. Do I have a bad jack? Perhaps a stereo jack for a mono headset? My headsets are David Clarks passive units. (10-30's I believe...) When I say it doesn't work, I mean that I can't hear them and they can't hear me. Switching head sets doesn't help. Any thoughts?
 
You are not the first to "discover" a little known issue...

...with the phone jacks. There is no formal standard for the dimensions on the phone plugs and jacks. If you have headsets from two different manufacturers, you can hold them up side by side and see if they are the same or different. You should also do this with each phone plug and insert it into the phone jack installed in the aircraft...and verify that the contacts on each makes physical contact (implies electrical connection) with the appropriate mating contact. You may discover that when the phone plug is inserted into the jack all the way,one of the contacts on the jack is actually bridging (shorting) two different headset plug contacts.

There is a "standard" for the dimensions on the mic / key plug and there should be no compatibility problems matching the plugs and jacks for these circuits. The issue is with the headphone jacks / plugs for either mono or stereo usage. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes not...:eek:
 
It is certainly possible, but...

...that in itself should not be the cause of your symptoms. Audio Panel mfg's expect to have mono headsets attached to their stereo capable Panels. The Pilots Guide and the Install instructions will describe any operational effects that will occur if this "mismatch" happens. But this in itself should not be your symptom.

Can you remove the co-pilot headphone jack from the panel (leave all the wires attached) ?? While doing this, can you look behind the panel and verify that the jack contact wire lugs are not touching any airframe or panel material?? Do this while plugging and unplugging the headset plug into the panel jacks. (Some a/c have mounted the jacks very close to structural members and as the plugs are inserted into the jack, the metal contact springs expand out and away from the jack and then contact the a/c structure...just something to check).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.